Pacific Shizen Aikido is honoured to announce the visit of the founder of Aikido Kenkyukai International, Yoshinobu Takeda Shihan, 8th degree black belt from Yokohoma, Japan. Takeda Shihan is known for his uniquely flowing and physically liberating Aikido. With 50 years of experience he is a modern master and attracts to his events high-ranking practitioners and teachers from around the globe.

On the occasion of his visit we are offering a free public event at Cedar Hill Recreation Centre in Saanich on Saturday, July 21st, 4:45 – 5:45. There will be a peace pole dedication with elder John Elliott of the Saanich Nation and a presentation by Takeda Shihan and his students of Aikido, the Art of Peace.

The Peace Pole is a hand-crafted monument displaying May Peace Prevail on Earth on each of its sides in different languages. There are more than 200,000 Peace Poles in 180 countries all over the world. They stand in public parks, at churches, schools, gardens, at the Magnetic North Pole and the pyramids of Giza, as well as many Aikido dojos. Pacific Shizen Aikido has created a six-sided pole with May Peace Prevail on Earth written in English, French, Japanese, Arabic, Spanish, and Sencoten. These are the languages that are significant to our international Aikido organization, and in our community.